Raisa Restaurant, Not Kosher, Rabbi Yohanan St. 8, Jaffa Tel. (03) 620-2262

Raisa, a popular bar-restaurant in the heart of Jaffa’s Flea Market, serves very good food in an informal atmosphere.

The pedestrian alleys crisscrossing Jaffa’s Flea Market are lined with bars and restaurants, and at first glance, Raisa is typical of most of them: plenty of al fresco seating flanking the entrance, and a dimly lit interior dominated by two bars and long tables, where lively music plays.

What sets Raisa apart is the pedigree of its chef and co-owner: Uri Levy, who trained with the best in Israel and the world: under Sharon Cohen at Shila in Tel Aviv, and at L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon, a two-star Michelin restaurant in Paris. He has designed a menu that has something for everyone, including vegetarians and vegans, and he knows how to take a seemingly mundane dish and turn into something special.

Nevertheless, before getting down to ordering food, it is worth commencing with a couple of drinks. The cocktail menu lists a mixture of classics and house specialties, although on the evening of our visit, two of the latter were unavailable. Fortunately, that left still left us with two interesting choices: the Jack Sparrow and the Little Prince.





The Jack Sparrow—rum, pineapple juice, banana, caramel and lime juice, garnished with a slice of lemon and served on the rocks in a tall glass—was sweet but nonetheless refreshing, while the Little Prince—cognac, aged rum, cinnamon, orange and lemon—packed quite a punch.

The menu comprises five categories: Starters, which are more like dips or condiments than real appetizers; Land, six vegetable dishes; Sea, four entrees of fish or seafood; and Meat, with choices of lamb, beef or chicken. Four desserts are listed under the heading Sweets.

One of the starters is the house bread—a Jerusalem bagel that is fluffier than the original version—served with tiny saucers of tehina and spreadable white cheese; in order to add what turned out to be just a dollop of tomato salsa with skhoug, we had to shell out another NIS 10. This was particularly galling, since on the whole, the prices at Raisa are very reasonable.




Another starter was something called a “hot plate” on the English menu; we had to turn to the Hebrew menu to learn that it actually refers to a plate of spicy peppers. It was not the only instance where the English was either opaque or misleading: we almost did not order the dish described as chicken thighs, until the Hebrew made it clear that it was really pargit (pullet).

We began our meal with the cauliflower and black tehina—although the sesame sauce was gray, at the most. Still, the florets were al dente and delicious, enhanced nicely as well by green herbs, pickled shallots and hot and sour peppers.




Our second vegetable dish was “fired” eggplant carpaccio—although the word carpaccio does not appear in the Hebrew, nor was the aubergine sliced carpaccio-style. Nevertheless, this was an outstanding dish: the mellow eggplant—complemented perfectly by tehina, pine nuts and chili, plus a touch of sweetness provided by date syrup—practically melted in the mouth.



Moving on to the Sea category, we selected the “hot pan” of shrimps in a sauce of arak, fennel, okra, spinach and tomatoes. I am not a fan of arak on its own, but the anise liquor gave a whole extra dimension of flavor to the plump, juicy shrimp. And we finally had something worthy in which to dip our bread.





Finally, our two dishes from the Meat category exceeded expectations. The Hebrew menu (only) brags that Raisa’s lamb “cigars” are “not your (usual) wedding fare”—and the fat, golden-brown cylinders of phyllo pastry stuffed with ground lamb seasoned with cinnamon and flecked with mangold made this no idle boast. I don’t eat this Moroccan delicacy often, but these are about the best I have had.




The “butter chicken Bagdad (sic) style” was a generous skewer of morsels of pullet atop a large lafa, slathered with yogurt and presented amidst homemade pickles, arugula and mint. It was quite a big portion, but we had no trouble polishing off this exceptional interpretation of what could have otherwise been a humdrum dish.




The desserts here, though, are quite another matter. Not that they are bad; it’s just that they are so commonplace, especially in comparison to the creative, Middle Eastern-inspired dishes heretofore.

Three of the four are Western standbys, served in just about every run-of-the-mill restaurant in Israel. With only malabi hinting at Levantine origins, we settled on crack pie and cheesecake; both were acceptable, but disappointing emanating from a kitchen helmed by the gifted Levy.

I was expecting some interesting variations on kanaffeh or basbousa or the like; it is to be hoped that Levy puts his mind to fashioning desserts worthy of his talents—and gets someone to fix the menu’s incredibly sloppy English.

Sarah Kaplan Drus's Stuffed Cabbage (Holishkes) Recipe, updated by the Bard of Bat Yam (#BardOfBatYam), Poet Laureate Of Zion ( #PoetLaureateOfZion) and Stephen Darori (@stephendarori, #stephendarori, #stephendrus)

2 hrs 45 mins
Prep: 45 mins,
Cook: 2 hrs
Yield: 20 Cabbage Rolls (10 servings)(20)


This Ashkenazi (Eastern European) Jewish stuffed cabbage recipe, or holishkes, is a traditional dish for Sukkot, the harvest festival in autumn, because when two holishkes are put together side by side, they form the shape of the Torah (two scrolls).

And, since Sukkot is followed a week later by Simchas Torah, holishkes are often served then, also. But, in general, they are enjoyed year-round by Jewish communities in Europe, the United States, and the Middle East.

This recipe has a sweet-sour sauce with raisins and is adapted from "The Hadassah Jewish Holiday Cookbook" edited by Joan Schwartz Michel (Hugh Lauter Levin Associates Inc., 2002). Here are 22 more stuffed cabbage recipes you might enjoy.

Ingredients

Cabbage:
1 head cabbage (about 4 pounds)

Sauce:
2 cans whole peeled tomatoes (2 x 28-ounces)
1 large onion (finely chopped)
1apple (Granny Smith, peeled, cored and coarsely grated)
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup sugar (white)
1/4 cup brown sugar (firmly packed)
1 teaspoon sour salt (citric acid)
1 cup raisins (dark)
1 tablespoon salt (kosher)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Filling:
2 pounds ground beef (chuck)
1 large onion (grated)
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons rice (raw, omit if making this for Passover)
1 tablespoon matzoh meal
2 1/2 teaspoons salt (kosher)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper


How to Make It

Prepare the Cabbage
Remove core from cabbage. Place whole head in a large pot filled with boiling, salted water. Cover and cook 3 minutes, or until softened enough to pull off individual leaves. You will need about 20 leaves.

When leaves are cool enough to handle, use a paring knife to cut away the thick center stem from each leaf, without cutting all the way through.

Make the Sauce
Place tomatoes and their juices in a medium-large saucepan. Crush tomatoes with a wooden spoon. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook 15 minutes or until slightly thickened.

Stir in onion, apple, lemon juice, white and brown sugars, sour salt, raisins, kosher salt and pepper, and return to a boil.

Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes longer. Add more sugar or more lemon juice for the sweet-sour taste you prefer. Set sauce aside.
Make the Filling
In a large bowl, mix ground beef, grated onion, eggs, rice, if using, matzoh meal, 2 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, mixing thoroughly. Don't overmix or the meat will become tough.

Assemble the Rolls and Cook
Place about 1/2 cup of meat on each cabbage leaf. Roll away from you to encase the meat. Flip the right side of the leaf to the middle, then flip the left side. You will have something that looks like an envelope. Once again, roll away from you to create a neat little package.

Spoon a thin layer of sauce in the bottom of a large casserole dish or Dutch oven. Chop any remaining cabbage leaves and place over the sauce.

Arrange cabbage rolls, seam-side down, on top of the chopped cabbage leaves in as many layers as necessary. Pour remaining sauce over stuffed cabbage.

Bring to a boil on the stovetop, reduce heat to low, cover and cook 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until filling is cooked and cabbage is tender.

Charoset Recipes... simple recipes for the Passover by the Bard Of Bat Yam (#BardOfBat Yam) , Poet Laureate Of Zion (#PoetLaureateOfZion) and Stephen Darori

Charoset, haroset, or charoses (Hebrew: חֲרֽוֹסֶת‬ [ḥărōset]) is a sweet, dark-colored paste made of fruits and nuts eaten at the Passover Seder. Its color and texture are meant to recall mortar (or mud used to make adobe bricks) which the Israelites used when they were enslaved in Ancient Egypt as mentioned in Tractate Pesahim (page 116a) of the Talmud, which says " The word "charoset" comes from the Hebrew word cheres — חרס — "clay."

Charoset is one of the symbolic foods on the Passover Seder Plate. After reciting the blessings, and eating a matzah "Hillel sandwich"(with two matzot) combining charoset and maror, the remainder is often eaten plain, spread on matzah.

History

Charoset is mentioned in the Mishna in connection with the items placed on the Passover table: "unleavened bread and lettuce and charoset." Some say it can be traced back to the custom of symposia in ancient Greece, where philosophical discussions were accompanied by drinking large quantities of wine and consuming foods dipped into mixtures of pounded nuts and spices.

Variations

There are many recipes for charoset. Many include at least some of the fruits and spices mentioned in the Song of Songs: apples 2-3, figs 2-13, pomegranates 4-3, grapes 2-15, walnuts 6-11, dates 7-7 with the addition of wine 1-2, saffron 4-14 and cinnamon 4-14. 

Ashkenazi traditions

Eastern European (or Ashkenazi) charoset is made from chopped walnuts and apples, spiced with cinnamon and sweet red wine. Honey or sugar may be added as a sweetener and binder. The mixture is not cooked. Many Ashkenazim refer to any charoset that includes fruit other than apples as "[name of fruit] charoset" as they do not consider it to be "charoset" in a strict sense.

Sephardi traditions

Sephardi charoset is a paste made of raisins, figs and dates.

Egyptian Jews make it from dates, raisins, walnuts, cinnamon, and sweet wine.

Greek and Turkish Jews use apples, dates, chopped almonds, and wine. Italian Jews add chestnuts.

Some Spanish and Portuguese communities such as the Jews of Suriname, add coconut.

Yemenite tradition

Yihye Bashiri (17th-century) described the manner in which the charoset was made in Yemen: "They take figs or raisins or dates, and pound them into the consistency of dough. They then put vinegar thereto, and add spices. Some there are who put ground sesame seeds into this admixture. On the night of the Passover, a person is required to put therein whole spices that have not been ground; either two or three seeds of valerian (Arabic: sunbul), or sprigs of marjoram [alternatively: wild thyme ] (Arabic: za'tar), or savory (Arabic: hasha), or things similar to them, so that it will resemble straw in mortar – in remembrance of that thing by which our fathers were enslaved in Egypt, seeing that it is like unto bricks and straw." In Yemenite Jewish tradition, the charoset is also called "dukeh" (Hebrew: דוכה‬), a name also referred to as such in the Jerusalem Talmud.

Mizrahi traditions

Not all Jews use the term "charoset". Some of the Jews of the Middle East instead use the term "halegh". The origin of halegh is not clear. Rav Saadia Gaon uses the word and attributes it to a kind of walnut that was a mandatory ingredient in the preparation of the halegh.

Parts of the Jewish Diaspora in Iran have a tradition of including forty different ingredients in the halegh. The number forty signifies the forty years of wandering in the desert.

Modern variations

In 2015 Ben & Jerry's Charoset ice cream became widely available in Israel and was covered in several major news outlets

Less than a week until Seder night means it’s definitely time to start thinking about the Seder plate foods, including charoset—a mixture of apples, nuts and wine which resembles the mortar and brick made by the Jews when they toiled for Pharaoh. This is used as a type of relish into which the maror (bitter herb) is dipped (and then shaken off) before eating.





The base of any charoset is sweet apple and/or pear, walnuts and red wine. Fruit—small dice, large dice or grated, that’s up to you. Nuts chopped or ground—again, up to you. It’s a matter of taste. Can’t decide? Make a few versions and have a vote.

Some people like to add dried fruit like raisins, dates, prunes or apricots, and spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves or allspice. Desiccated coconut can add another layer of texture, and is a good alternative for the nut-allergic.

I’ve got four variations for you here, but feel free to play around and come up with your own.
Simple Chabad-Style Charoset

1 red apple
1 pear
1 cup chopped or ground walnuts
½ cup sweet red wine

Peel and finely dice the apple and pear. Mix in the ground nuts and wine. Refrigerate until serving. Add a little more wine immediately before serving.

Chunky Charoset

1 apple
1 pear
1 cup chopped or ground walnuts
½ cup raisins
½ cup sweet red wine
¼ tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. nutmeg

Peel and finely dice the apple and pear. Mix in the ground nuts, raisins, wine and spices. Refrigerate until serving. Add a little more wine immediately before serving.

Smooth Charoset

Use any of these recipes and pulse in a food processor until it reaches a thick paste consistency.

Nut-Free Charoset

1 apple
1 pear
1 cup desiccated coconut
½ cup raisins
½ cup sweet red wine

Peel and finely dice the apple and pear. Mix in the rest of the ingredients. Refrigerate until serving. Add a little more wine immediately before serving.

There’s one major “problem” with charoset—it’s customary to shake the charoset off the maror before eating, but the charoset is quite delicious! So, set some charoset aside in a separate container for later use. Mix it into your breakfast yogurt, or serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.





Play Video
Traditional Passover Charoset

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BY MIRIAM SZOKOVSKI

How to Cook Everything Completely Revised 10th Anniversary Edition 2,000 Simple Recipes for Great Food by Mark Bittman (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) (IBECookBooks)

Today's Favorite Kitchen Companion—Revised and Better Than Ever

Mark Bittman's award-winning How to Cook Everything has helped countless home cooks discover the rewards of simple cooking. Now the ultimate cookbook has been revised and expanded (almost half the material is new), making it absolutely indispensable for anyone who cooks—or wants to. With Bittman's straightforward instructions and advice, you'll make crowd-pleasing food using fresh, natural ingredients; simple techniques; and basic equipment. Even better, you'll discover how to relax and enjoy yourself in the kitchen as you prepare delicious meals for every occasion.

"A week doesn't go by where I don't pull How to Cook Everything down from the shelf, so I am thrilled there's a new, revised edition. My original is falling apart!"

Exclusive Recipe Excerpts from How to Cook Everything

• Grilled or Broiled Chicken Kebabs
• Roasted Shrimp with Herb Sauce
• Warm Spicy Greens with Bacon and Eggs
• Author Tip: 7 Ways to Vary Chicken Kebabs [PDF]



10 Reasons You Need the New How to Cook Everything (even if you already have the original)
1. The 2000+ simple recipes will make cooking at home easier, so you can spend less and eat better.2. With 1,446 new recipes and variations such as Beer-and-Butter Chicken Wings, Roasted Corn Chowder, BLT Salad, Paella with Chicken and Chorizo, Caramelized French Toast, and Popcorn Brittle, this book provides a whole new array of recipes.
3. The many new techniques covered in this edition will help you to expand your repertoire of kitchen skills to include frosting a cake, grinding your own chili powder, or even de-boning a quail.
4. Your husband, wife, brother, sister, son, daughter, or best friend needs a little help in the kitchen (okay, maybe a lot). The new How to Cook Everything contains more expert advice like “12 Must-Have Kitchen Tools,” “Super-Easy 3-Ingredient Soups,” and “The Basics of Cutting.”
5. You trust Bittman’s no-nonsense opinions and can’t wait to read the thousands of new ones packed into this edition. He’ll even help you to select the best inexpensive fish (ex. mackerel is versatile, tasty, healthy, and plentiful; tilapia can taste kinda muddy).
6. The index of “Essential Recipes” points you to Bittman’s favorite dishes in each chapter, so there’s less reason to be intimidated by all those recipes.
7. There are more helpful lists in the new How to Cook Everything than ever before. Bittman shows how to jack up the basics with easy ideas like “4 Ways to Thicken a Sauce”, and “Infinite Ways to Season or Serve Any Grilled or Broiled Chicken Dish.”
8. With this edition’s brand new charts, it’s absurdly easy to look up the cooking times for grains, heat factor for chiles, and other need-to-know information about everything from herbs and spices to flour and noodles.
9. You know it’s cheap, easy, and fast to serve your family boneless chicken breasts every week, but sometimes you run out of ideas. That’s why you really need all the new recipes, variations, and other suggestions for chicken breasts like “11 More Ways to Vary Grilled or Broiled Boneless Chicken.”
10. There are plenty of new illustrations which incorporate more detail than many photos. They’ll show you how to use a pastry bag, how to eat crabs, and even how to puree soup using an immersion blender (it’s is way less messy than a regular blender).

 Ten years have brought many changes to the U.S. culinary landscape, and Bittman's new edition of his contemporary classic reflects that, with hundreds of recipes added, out-of-date ones banished and few lines from the holdovers left untouched. The opening chapter offers invaluable new tips on basic kitchen equipment and techniques, and in the wake of the recent vegetarian version of the book, produce and legumes are now featured earlier and with more inspired meatless recipes. Overall, Bittman's globe-trotting palate shows even better than it did in the already quite international first edition, with intriguing recipes from every corner of the world. Considering these expansions, the most important change has been to the book's user-friendliness: a proliferation of charts, lists and boxes makes much more information immediately available—hardly a page goes by without an eye-catching sidebar about technique, a handy table organizing the basics of an ingredient or dish or the myriad suggestions of variations and new ways to think about a recipe that make it the best-value all-in-one volume available. At-a-glance coding to indicate what is fast to make, what can be made ahead and what is vegetarian, plus highlighted recipes that Bittman considers essential, help ensure that even with more of everything to cook, this massive tome is navigable. Whether the first edition is on their shelves or not, home cooks of all skill levels will want to get this one. 

World Jewish Spice Primer

Advieh
Persian Jewish cooks turn to a blend of cinnamon, cardamom, and dried rose petals to flavor dishes both savory (like pilafs and stews) and sweet (like rice pudding and charoset). Some variations also include ginger, while others incorporate more traditionally savory spices like cumin and coriander.

Baharat
Used throughout the Middle East, baharat is a catchall spice blend that varies widely from region to region, and from kitchen to kitchen. It typically includes some combination of cumin, black peppercorns, coriander, cinnamon, and ginger. Other spices (everything from cloves and mint to sumac) are then added to enliven and personalize the blend. Baharat is typically used as a rub or mix-in for meat, fish, and chicken dishes, and is also a wonderful flavor enhancer for rice and hearty soups.

Berbere
Ethiopian cooking can be quite fiery, thanks to a blend of very hot African bird’s-eye chilies and other flavorful spices. The additional spices range widely, but often include other chilies, cardamom, coriander, cumin, cinnamon, fenugreek, turmeric, and cloves. Berbere is added to many stews (called wots), both meat-based and vegetarian.

Caraway
This floral, slightly bitter spice is perhaps best known for the role it plays in flavoring rye bread. In America, as Jewish-style ryes began to rely on higher percentages of wheat flour, caraway became the dominant flavor. But caraway, which is a close relative of parsley, has other traditional uses in Ashkenazi cuisine, primarily as a mix-in for sauerkraut and braised cabbage, soups, potato dishes, and noodles.

Dill
Many iconic Ashkenazi dishes, from chicken soup and cucumber pickles to dumplings and salmon patties, are flavored with dill. Often, cooks turn to the verdant fresh version, but robustly-flavored dried dill seed is also liberally used.

Dukkah
According to Gil Marks’s Encyclopedia of Jewish Food, this Egyptian spice blend gets its name from the Arabic word meaning “to pound.” The foundation of ground, toasted nuts (often hazelnuts, peanuts, or pistachios) and sesame seeds separates this mix from others. The nuts are typically paired with some combination of fragrant spices like cumin, coriander, nigella seeds, and mint. Dukkah can be used as a nutty coating for fish or a topping for eggs but is most often served alongside olive oil as a dip for bread or pita.

Harissa
Tunisian and Moroccan home cooks add fiery heat and vibrant flavor to a wide variety of tagines, couscous dishes, and stews with harissa. It comes in two forms, a wet paste and a dry spice blend, with chiles and garlic serving as the foundation of both. Cumin, coriander, and paprika are common mix-ins.

Hawaij (savory) 
Yemenite Jews rely on this blend of turmeric, cumin, cardamom, and black peppercorns to flavor a wide variety of dishes including grilled chicken, fish, lamb, and beef. The classic Yemenite chicken or beef soup, marak temani, is also flavored (and colored golden, thanks to the turmeric) with savory hawaij.

Hawaij (coffee)
In Yemen, coffee also gets the hawaij treatment, though the blend is distinctly sweeter than the soup version. It typically combines cinnamon, ginger, cloves, cardamom, and sometimes turmeric and black peppercorns. A pinch added to coffee grounds perfumes the entire pot.

Paprika
Hungarian Jewish cooking gets its distinctive earthy flavor and rosy color from paprika. From goulash and paprikash to cholent and roast chicken, it is hard to imagine a traditional Ashkenazi Shabbat table without the bright red, finely ground capsicum.

Poppy seeds
Called mohn in German and Yiddish, nutty, blue-black poppy seeds are ubiquitous in Central European baked goods, from sweet rolls and cakes to strudel and hamantaschen. The oily seeds are also ground and mixed with egg noodles—served either sweet with sugar, or savory with sautéed cabbage.

Ras el Hanout
Literally translating to “top of the shop,” this complex Moroccan mix traditionally blends the best-quality spices a merchant has to offer. The recipe varies widely depending on who is making it but tends to include at least a dozen (and often many more) distinct spices including ginger, cardamom, cumin, fennel, coriander, cinnamon, star anise, peppercorns, and turmeric. It is typically used for special occasions, flavoring tagines and couscous dishes, or as a rub for meat.

Za’atar
The name za’atar refers to both a fresh herb (wild hyssop) and a tart, earthy spice blend made with the dried herb, as well as sumac, sesame seeds, and salt. Both the herb and the spice are popular in Arabic cooking—a practice that modern Israelis have emulated. The spice blend is sprinkled onto salads, hummus, flatbread, and used as a dry rub for fish, chicken, and meat dishes.

Freda Shabelstock's Riga Borscht - Freda Shabelstock was my Grandmother

▻

Serves 8

Freda Shabelstoch's broth is supremely light, a clear essence of beet spiked with a healthy dose of lemon juice and perfumed with a large handful of dill. The carrots, potatoes and celery bob amongst the ruby shards of beet, so that each mouthful is substantial yet straightforward. We salted the soup towards the beginning so that the veggies would absorb some salinity, and we added plenty of lemon juice at the end. Don't skip a generous dollop of sour cream; when swirled gently into the soup, it lends just the right amount of richnessI had a low red blood count at birth so doctors in Russia suggested that my mother start including beets in my diet to increase my iron within the first year of my life. How did my Grandother prepare beets for me when I was an infant? It's reasonable to assume that beet juice was my other 'mother's milk'. This vegetable and I really have been inseparable friends for all of my life.

Over the years, I watched my grandmother make borscht countless timmes. When my grandmother made it (and she never wore gloves), the kitchen smelled of earth, which belied the surprisingly sweet flavor of this amazing root. In high school, I began refining the recipe, dispensing with my grandmother's use of sour salt and replacing it with more fresh lemon juice. In my twenties, I subtracted parsnips and dill stalks and used fewer carrots and potatoes. Every change I made allowed the focus of the recipe to return to its original beet flavor. My favorite borscht allows me to experience the contrast between sweetness and tanginess, and to adjust that contrast with my own preferred blend of sour cream and garlic slivers and juniper berries. Finding the balance that works for your tastebuds is the heart of this recipe's sex appeal.

Ingredients
10cups water
2tablespoons grapeseed oil
1large onion, finely chopped
1bay leaves
3medium sized beets
2medium sized carrots
1large potato (1 yukon or 2 small red)
1celery stalk, cut into thin moons
1/4bunch fresh dill, minced
1/2-1whole lemon, juice of
2-3teaspoons salt
dashfreshly ground pepper
12whole juniper berries (optional)
1-2cloves of garlic
1tablespoon sour cream (per bowl) 

Directions

1. Set your pot of water on low heat. Add in 1 tbsp of oil, chopped onion, bay leaf and juniper berries. Peel the beets and cut them into halves if they’re small enough or into thirds or quarters if they’re very large. You want them to be of relatively equal size. Drop them gently into the water as you continue working on the rest of the vegetables. 
2. Peel and cut the carrots into rounds, and for the potatoes, cut them into 1/2″ size cubes or small chunks. (I prefer my vegetables small as I find they distribute a lot better into individual bowls.) Add them to the pot as they're ready. Then add the chopped celery and the juice of 1/2 of a fresh lemon. Bring your heat up and cook the soup until a fork easily pierces through one of the larger beet pieces; this should take about 15 minutes on medium low heat. 
3. While the beets are getting tender, you should skim the soup from some of the foam that will form. By doing this, you will inevitably be taking out some of the oil along with it. Once you’ve skimmed it, put in an additional 1/2 tablespoon of oil. 
4. Once your beets are done, scoop them out of the soup (bringing back into the pot any vegetables that might have clung to the beet) and let the beets cool for 2 minutes so you can handle them more easily. At this point, you can turn the pot to low heat. I’d advise wearing gloves for the next part so you don’t have to take beet stains off your hands. Using the large holes on your grater, shred your beets. Once you’ve grated all the chunks, carefully put all the shredded beets back into the soup pot and let this cook for an additional 10 minutes. 
5. The soup should have a sweet tart taste. After the 10 minutes, add in the dill and taste the soup to adjust flavors accordingly. Add salt, a tad of pepper, and if the soup is still too sweet for you, another tablespoon or 2 of fresh lemon juice. Remember that if your soup is very hot, you will not taste the actual level of salt, so err on the side of less, as each time you reheat the soup, it will get slightly saltier. This soup is the perfect example of melded flavors getting better in the following days. 
6. Notes: Serve hot or cold, with sour cream or not, but eat this with black bread. If you want to make the soup a bit spicier, add thin slices of garlic to the soup before serving. If you want just a hint of garlic, then rub a cut clove over the crust of your bread. In the Winter, if you want to experience an even more authentic Russian meal, serve this soup with a side of mashed potatoes topped with sardines. Let the juices of the sardines drip into the butter- or milk-mashed potatoes. If you cook this in the Summertime, omit cooking with juniper berries and use a topping of cubed persian cucumbers or a hard boiled egg split in half.

Fay Drus;s Cheese Cake Recipe .... The Cape Town version

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE CRUST:
4 ounces graham crackers, broken into pieces
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1/3 cup sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

FOR THE FILLING:
2 1/2 pounds cream cheese (5 8-ounce packages), room temperature
4 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature
8 ounces sour cream, room temperature
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
5 large eggs, plus 2 egg yolks
Zest of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS
STEP 1 Preheat oven to 375 degrees with rack in lower third of oven.
STEP 2 Butter the bottom and sides of a 9- by 13-inch springform pan. Line the sides of the pan with 4-inch-high strips of parchment and butter the parchment.
STEP 3 In a food processor, pulse graham crackers with salt and sugar to fine crumbs. Add butter and pulse until fully incorporated. Press evenly into bottom of prepared springform pan and bake until crust is golden brown and set, 15 minutes. Remove from oven and transfer to wire rack to cool 10 minutes.
STEP 4 In a large stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese, butter, and sour cream with sugar until light and smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time until fully incorporated. Beat in remaining egg yolks, zest, and vanilla extract.
STEP 5 Crisscross two long pieces of foil and place a piece of parchment on top. Place springform in center of foil and wrap foil tightly around bottom and sides of pan. Transfer to a roasting pan, pour filling into springform pan, and smooth the top.
STEP 6 Pour boiling water into roasting pan to come halfway up the sides of the springform pan and carefully transfer to oven. Bake for 1 hour until top of cheesecake is golden brown, edges are set, and center jiggles slightly. Lift cheesecake from water bath, remove foil and parchment from outside of springform, and chill cheesecake in refrigerator for at least 8 hours.
STEP 7 To serve, remove side of springform pan and parchment strips. Cut cheesecake with a long, thin-bladed knife.

Fay Drus's Giant Chocolate Cake with Bittersweet Chocolate Ganache and Edible Flowers

INGREDIENTS

CAKE
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup plus 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup boiling water
2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

GANACHE
5 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) chilled butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
3/4 cup sugar
Edible flowers* (for decoration)

special equipment
1 12-inch round cake pan with 2-inch-high sides


RECIPE PREPARATION

CAKE

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 12-inch round cake pan with 2-inch-high sides with nonstick spray. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper round. Spray parchment paper with nonstick spray. Dust pan with flour, tapping out any excess. Sift 2 cups flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into medium bowl. Sift cocoa into another medium bowl. Pour 1 cup boiling water over cocoa; whisk to blend. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and eggs in large bowl until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add butter to egg mixture and beat until blended. Beat in cocoa mixture. Add buttermilk and vanilla; beat to blend. Add dry ingredients and beat on low just to blend. Transfer batter to prepared pan; smooth top.
2. Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 38 minutes. Cool cake completely in pan on rack. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and let stand at room temperature.

GANACHE

1. Place chopped chocolate, butter, and vanilla in medium bowl. Bring cream and sugar to boil in medium saucepan, stirring to dissolve sugar. Carefully pour hot cream mixture into bowl with chocolate. Let stand 1 minute. Whisk until melted and smooth. Chill ganache until thickened and spreadable, about 1 hour.
2. Carefully invert cake onto large cake plate. Gently remove parchment paper. Spread ganache over top and sides of cake and allow ganache to set, about 1 hour. DO AHEAD Cake can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome and refrigerate. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour before decorating.

Decorate cake with edible flowers. Cut into wedges and serve.

Hanamal 24 Not kosher 24 Hanamal St., Haifa Tel: (04) 862-8899 Monday – Thursday, 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday, noon to 10 p.m. Saturday, 1 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Hanamal 24 is a European enclave in downtown Haifa.French food with an Italian Accent.





Hanamal 24 is a European enclave in downtown Haifa.

The small streets surrounding the Haifa port in the recently developed downtown Haifa area reminds me of many European cities, with bars and coffee shops spilling onto the cobbled streets and sidewalks. So it is very fitting that when you walk into Hanamal 24, the European theme continues, with the restaurant’s décor reminiscent of a rural Italian courtyard. Although the eatery seats 80 diners, the layout, with its numerous nooks and side rooms, creates an intimate space for all patrons, even on a busy night.

Hanamal 24 is the brainchild of restaurateur Guy Avital and chef Ran Rosh. Rosh trained in France and worked at a two-Michelin star restaurant before returning to Israel to start working with Avital. The menu is in the style of a traditional French bistro with Italian influences.

Avital recommended that we order the tasting menu (NIS 299) so we could try most of the restaurant’s signature dishes.

We started with rosemary grissini with smoked eggplant and crushed tomato dips (NIS 14). Although the bread was tasty, it was much too soft to be classed as grissini. I would have preferred more of a crunch to the crust. The whipped cream of onion soup (NIS 38) was rich and creamy, unlike traditional onion soups. The artichoke salad, which included rocket, caramelized almonds and delicious aged Parmesan (NIS 42), was one of our favorite dishes and had a lovely combination of flavors and textures, despite being served with too much dressing. We enjoyed the salmon ceviche in lime and vanilla with onion shanti (NIS 55), which had an interesting and fresh flavor profile. The purple calamari with tomato seeds, smoked roasted eggplant, chili and crème fraiche (NIS 45) was also good. My companion found the calamari to be soft and well cooked.

The liver pâté with brandy, pears cooked in saffron and brioche (NIS 48) was another favorite dish. The pâté was light and creamy, and the roasted brioche reminded me of cornbread. The final starter was the beef sirloin tartare with capers, black sesame tahini, shallots and chili brioche croutons (NIS 59), which had a good overall flavor.

We were surprised that after so many appetizers, we were served only three dishes from the main course section, but by then we were already pretty full.

The beef fillet pieces with chestnuts, zucchini, fresh chili and beef stock (NIS 118) were perfectly cooked, with a distinctive grilled flavor. And I found the tagliatelle and porcini mushrooms, served with soft goat cheese, leeks and truffle cream (NIS 78), to be rich and well seasoned.

Finally, the grilled fillet of drum fish with Gouda cheese risotto, fish stock and onion cream (NIS 122) was a fine dish but didn’t have any stand-out flavors.

To accompany the meal, we enjoyed a refreshing glass of Kna’an Rosé by Dalton 2016 (NIS 35) to start, followed by a bottle of Vitkin Blend 24 2014 (NIS 185), a blend of Carignan, Syrah, Cabernet France and Argaman.

Exclusive to Hanamal 24, that wine went well with both the meat and fish dishes.

We finished the meal with three desserts recommended by our waitress. The pistachio crème brûlée (NIS 45) was glazed at the table, which was a novel touch. The dish was rich and creamy with a good pistachio flavor. We could not believe that the chocolate mousse (NIS 42) was sugar-free. It was light and not too rich. Finally, the apple crumble (NIS 38) was very flavorful, but the topping was very dry and there was too much of it.

Overall, we enjoyed our meal at Hanamal 24. The service was very attentive, and the restaurant provided an authentic taste of Europe in downtown Haifa.

Vicky Cristina Tapas and Wine Bar Not kosher 17b Hatahana, Tel Aviv Tel: (03) 736-7272

With the impending closure of Cerveceria after four years of excellence, Tel Aviv is losing one of its few great tapas bars. Fortunately for fans of these Spanish specialties, Vicky Cristina Tapas and Wine Bar, now in its seventh year, is still going strong and showing no signs of slowing down.

Vicky Cristina, with its cavernous main room and two al fresco areas, is a sprawling presence in the popular Tachana compound. In spite of its size, we received very attentive personal service. A waiter not even assigned to our table came over to ask if we perhaps wanted an outdoor heater moved closer to us.

As a wine bar, Vicky Cristina places little emphasis on cocktails, but the house sangria is a nice blend of red wine and citrus, with a complex undertone of spice (NIS 42). In the winter, it may be ordered warm.

Equally refreshing and distinctive is the clara con limon (NIS 28), a kind of shandy combining beer and bitter lemon.

The food menu comprises six categories: Delicatessen (a selection of cold cuts and/or cheeses); Verduras (Vegetables, including salads); Classics; Mariscos y Pesca (Fish and Seafood); Carne (Meat); and Specials. The small plates make it possible to plan an adventurous meal by sampling one from each category.

The Delicatessen section, which features primarily cold cuts and cheeses, led off with the Pan de la Casa (NIS 18). This house bread – a warm, baguette-style roll with a crispy crust and fluffy interior – was served with a mild salsa spiked with olive oil and garlic; but it was best saved for accompanying the dishes to come.

Among the Classics was Queso Frito (NIS 39) – fried Bouche cheese served with onion marmalade and a spicy tomato and pepper sauce. The white goat cheese was battered and fried to a beautiful golden brown, the crunchy exterior a nice counterpoint to the soft interior. The onion marmalade was barely noticeable in the zesty sauce, but that did not detract from this great dish built around the rich cheese.

From the seafood subcategory of the Seafood and Fish section, our knowledgeable waitress recommended the Chiparones a la Plancha (NIS 43) – seared purple calamari with red onion, chili oil, herbs and lemon. The understated heat allowed the freshness of the expertly seasoned squid to shine through.

Our fish selection was taken from the Specials list, thanks once again to a suggestion from the waitress. The Pescado Ta’amal (NIS 58) was fillet of red drum fish steamed inside a charred corn husk with mango salsa, lemon and jalapeno pepper. The perfectly cooked white sea fish melted in the mouth, while the chili imparted just the right amount of heat.

Paella is a dish that is sine qua non in a Spanish restaurant, and we were happy to find it in the Vegetables category as well. The Vegan Paella (NIS 49) – rice in vegetable stock and coconut cream with truffle oil, mushrooms, zucchini, chestnuts, red onion and herbs – was a pleasant surprise: one of the best vegan dishes I have had in a while.

Our waitress practically insisted we try the Maiz Blanco (NIS 29) – lightly grilled white corn in a provolone cheese fondue sauce sprinkled with red paprika. The fresh corn was as sweet as sugar cane and transported me back to the US, where the white corn in season was something we waited for all year long.

Of the four desserts on the menu, three of them featured chocolate. The Helado (NIS 42) – soft vanilla ice cream with hazelnut sauce, candied cashew and almond tuile – would appeal to anyone who likes Ferrero Rocher candy, while the Chocolate Oscuro (NIS 42) was flourless (glutenfree) chocolate cake in the unusual shape of rectangular bars. The chocolate cake was decadently rich and was a special treat when paired a la mode with the ice cream.

Throughout the meal, we enjoyed the recorded flamenco music, which added to the restaurant’s pleasant ambience. Several evenings a week, flamenco music is performed live.

Oratorio Restaurant , Kosher 1 Rehov Yair Street, Zichron Ya’acov Open for dinner Sunday to Friday, 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.

A concert of flavors at Oratorio.The gourmet restaurant in Zichron Ya’acov is a true classic.

The Elma Arts Complex in Zichron Ya’acov and its restaurant Oratorio hold a special place in my heart. Before the structure was turned into a concert hall with a gourmet restaurant, it was a Kupat Holim vacation home. We spent several summer breaks there with two small girls, enjoying the brisk sea air and walks along the sandy beach.

Forty years on, and the place has been transformed by the vision of local resident Lily Elstein. When she heard that the iconic building, designed by Yaakov Rechter, was going to be torn down, she decided to renovate it instead. Today, audiences enjoy classical music concerts in the auditorium, as well as the imaginative creations of chef Gil Aviram and sous-chef Peleg Ezra. A meal at Oratorio is an experience not to be missed.




Dish at Oratorio.

We settled down at a table for two, and the attentive staff could not have been more helpful. It was explained to us that the first course comes in the form of tapas, many different kinds laid out on an adjacent bar, and it was self-service. Later we would order a main course, which our waitress would bring to the table.

The tapas bar offered a very wide selection of tastes, many vegetarian but also some ceviche and meat choices. Among the dishes that stood out were a fresh whole mushroom salad marinated in a sweet chili sauce with a touch of pepperiness which was very welcome on a cold evening; a wild rice salad garnished with pomegranate seeds and herbs; and chunks of baked aubergine soaked in date syrup. The carpaccio – thinly sliced salted beef – was swimming in a sea of olive oil, which I found offputting. The ceviche of salmon also did not have eye appeal. More slices of fried eggplant found their way onto delicious homemade bruschetta. In sum, the vegetarian options were the best bet as far as the appetizers were concerned.

There was also a thick vegetarian soup at the buffet. It was described as vichyssoise, which is made with potatoes and leeks and is usually served cold. This one was nicely hot and satisfying, although the potatoes seemed to overpower the leeks.

For the main course, my companion chose the lamb shank.

The tender crispy lamb was perfectly cooked, falling away from the bone but still pleasantly chewy. The accompanying bok choy was oily, and the carrot puree tasted as though someone in the kitchen had tipped a whole packet of cumin into the mix. I like cumin, but it is a very powerful spice and must be used with a gentle touch.

My main course was goose rillettes with red cabbage, served on a homemade brioche. This consisted of shredded roast goose in a rich brown sauce. The brioche was perfect for absorbing the delicious gravy. The side dish was a brilliant concoction, both visually and gastronomically. It consisted of five vegetable purees laid out on a plate – a real work of art. There were beet puree (a rich purple); parsley (vivid green); corn (bright yellow); sweet potato (orange); and Jerusalem artichoke (greige).

The hearty red wine to accompany this feast was Bat Shlomo, 2014 Red Blend (NIS 190 or NIS 45 a glass). You can also take the house wine at NIS 32 a glass.

There were several dessert choices, but we plumped for our usual favorites – lemon for me, chocolate for my companion. The lemon curd with crumble and Swiss meringue was as good as expected. The chocolate dish, called Only Chocolate, had the sweet brown stuff appear in five different incarnations – jelly, cream, cake, ganache and crumble. The waiter also insisted we try the dessert called The Pink. This was a pretty plate of pink goodies – macaroon, marshmallow, Turkish delight and creamed berries. It looked beautiful, and the taste did not disappoint.

Dan Hotel Restaurant Kosher 99 Hayarkon St., Tel Aviv Tel: (03) 520-2525

For the third consecutive year, Israel is participating in the prestigious international culinary festival, imaginatively named Round Tables. The event, sponsored by American Express, brings over some of the world’s top chefs to work together with Israeli chefs to produce outstanding one-of-a-kind meals.

The only kosher restaurant participating in the festival is Hayarkon 99, the flagship restaurant of the Dan Tel Aviv Hotel, which has the distinction of being the city’s first luxury hotel and a historical building in its own right.

The chef, Oved Alfia, will be joined by Andreu Genestra, the owner of a restaurant of the same name on the Spanish island of Mallorca, which was awarded a coveted Michelin star two years ago. Alfia visited Genestra, who is 37, and worked with him on some of the food that will be served during the Round Tables festival and explained the limitations of kashrut.

“He already knew a great deal about Jewish food,” says the 51-year-old top chef, whose parents immigrated to Israel from Syria. “I was impressed by how much he knew of Jewish history and tradition. Also, he grows all the herbs and spices for his cuisine in the restaurant garden.”

Ahead of the festival, my dining companion and I had the opportunity to sample some of the hotel’s culinary creations.

The restaurant at the Dan is small and can seat about 50 diners. Crisp snow-white linen tablecloths and napkins, shining flatware and fine china all hinted at the splendor to come.

While we munched on crusty whole grain bread and grainstudded crackers, all made in the hotel kitchen, an amuse-gueule arrived, listed as “Empanada, cauliflower cream, caramelized onions and pine nuts.” The tiny tidbit was served on a shiny flat pebble from the hotel garden. We could have eaten 10 of these, but one and a half each had to suffice.

For the first course, a large plate dotted with little mounds of chopped food was next to arrive.

One of these, described as “Tartare of tomato,” was fresh skinned tomato with black olives and quite a hot chili flavor. Another was made from mashed banana and herbs, slightly sweet and peppery.

There were also little piles of chopped raw fish, highly flavored with leek, shallot, coriander and hot chili, the classical Peruvian “tiger milk” marinade.

For the main course I chose the pink trout, baked with potato slices, pickled beetroot cubes and pickled onion (NIS 109). It was served with a creamy white horseradish sauce which blended well with the acidic vegetables.

My companion chose the skewered lamb, which was very tender with a crispy surface and soft chewy meat inside (NIS 109).

Julienned chili pepper made an unusual side dish. The accompanying salad, flavored with citrus vinaigrette and served with hazelnuts and chopped dates, was very good.

The dessert menu offered a wide choice (NIS 42 to NIS 46). On the advice of our waiter Pinhas, who has worked at the Dan for 40 years, I chose the Apple Gratin with Chantilly cream. It was a crunchy biscuit base topped with warm sweet apple slices and was excellent, although the “cream” was a poor approximation of the real thing. My companion chose the Guanaja chocolate fondant, a rich dessert that was part cake, part candy, with an orange sauce.

We ended our meal with an espresso and a pot of mint water for the insomniac of the duo.

The Round Tables festival begins on October 29 and runs until November 10. The price of a meal at the Dan Tel Aviv during the festival is NIS 239.

Tapeo Restauran, Not kosher 16 Ha’arba’a St., Tel Aviv; Tel: (03) 624-0484 9 Arieh Shenkar St., Herzliya; Tel: (09) 954-6699

Tapeo, the two-restaurant chain that is one of the country’s pioneers in introducing Israelis to authentic Spanish tapas, never rests on its laurels. It is constantly adding dishes and adjusting their seasonality, while it recently inaugurated a new slate of creative cocktails. Tapas aficionados will especially appreciate what the kitchens have planned next: Michelin-star chef Oriol Rovira of Els Casals in Catalonia will be a guest chef next month (November 6 at Tapeo in Tel Aviv, and November 7 at Tapeo in Herzliya).

The Tapeo menu is best perused while sipping one of the restaurant’s specialty cocktails. The Pistolero (NIS 46), for example – mezcal, triple sec, agave syrup, basil, chili, vanilla and lime, served neat in a martini glass and garnished with a fiery red pepper – packs a double punch, thanks to the two different kinds of liquor and the piquant spices.

Another good choice is the Sangria Roja (NIS 34), made in-house with red wine from Spain, brandy, cinnamon and citrus. It can be ordered with ice for a refreshing drink in the summer or warm in the winter.






The food menu at Tapeo comprises eight categories, covering a wide variety of dishes. The tapas-sized portions – and reasonable prices – meant that we were able to sample one representative from each section (with the exception of paella, which we surmised might be too filling).

The first category is Pan and Pinxtos, the tapas version of bruschetta – two small slices of toast with assorted toppings. We chose the Escabeche Pincho (NIS 32): cured sea bream and fresh asparagus on a cream of eggplant with almond. The asparagus was chopped so finely that it was barely discernible; but as an ensemble, the ingredients worked very well together.

Next came a beet salad called Remolacha (NIS 32), one of eight dishes in the Vegetales category (there are vegetarian and vegan options in many of the other categories as well).

The large chunks of roasted beetroot tossed with red onion, pine nuts and Manchego cheese in a mild green salsa formed a terrific interplay of flavors and textures.

From the Carnes (Meat) category, we chose the Solomillo (NIS 46): aged sirloin steak with a green garlic sauce and demi-glace. The meat, grilled to a perfect medium, was as succulent as you would find in a steakhouse, enhanced nicely by the distinctive sauce.

Barramundi (NIS 46), our knowledgeable waitress informed us, is no longer imported from Australia but is farmed in freshwater ponds in Israel. Here it makes its appearance in the Ceviche section, marinated in tequila and lime with fresh herbs.

Besides also being tossed with green beans in a chipotle pepper sauce, there was a welcome seasonal addition: small cubes of mango. The freshness of the raw white fish was evident, while the touch of sweetness from the fruit provided delectable counterpoint to the spiciness of the tangy marinade.

As we pondered our choices in the Mariscos (Seafood) category, our waitress gave us a recommendation: Calamari con judias (NIS 42) – stirfried calamari with black beans in a chipotle sauce. We were very happy we followed her advice. Both the calamari and beans were cooked to an excellent al dente texture, while the smoky chili sauce delivered a pleasant tingle of heat with each mouthful.

We had no hesitation in choosing from the three classic Spanish dishes in the Clasico section: croquetas of goose breast and mushroom in a béchamel sauce (NIS 32). The three crispy balls containing premium fillings in rich, creamy sauce exploded into flavor with each bite.

There was a separate dessert menu which, not surprisingly, contained churros (NIS 36), making our choice of the popular Spanish treat a no-brainer. Although we had only enough room for one dessert, the five buttery sticks were enough for two to share. The thin crullers sprinkled with cinnamon sugar were just right: a little crunch on the outside, yielding to soft gooiness on the inside. Accompanied by decadent dips of chocolate ganache and toffee, the warm churros were the ideal finale to a memorable meal.

Raisa Restaurant, Not kosher 8 Rabbi Yohanan St., Jaffa Tel: 052-449-9188

Food served at Raisa restaurant in Jaffa. (photo credit: Courtesy)

Situated in the heart of the Jaffa Flea Market (Shuk Hapishpishim), Raisa is the kind of restaurant that everyone wants in their neighborhood. Chef Uri Levy combines the finest in locally sourced ingredients for a gastronomic sensation that, together with a stylish, relaxed atmosphere, makes a visit there an appealing dining experience.

Upon entering, one is immediately struck by the warm, welcoming atmosphere of the restaurant. There is a large bar in the center – that is packed on weekend nights – and seating areas inside and on the sidewalk.

Sitting outside, my dining companion and I were immediately served delicious cocktails, setting the tone for an evening of fine food.

We began with the lamb cigars (NIS 38). Served with tehina, the cigars were crisp and crunchy on the outside, while the meat inside was juicy and tender. This was comfort food at its best.

Next up was the roasted cauliflower with black tehina (NIS 44). Roasted perfectly, the cauliflower was buttery in tenderness, and the florets were nicely browned and had a bit of crispiness.

This was followed by tuna tartare served with eggplant and herbs on thin slices of pita (NIS 56). The dish was very nicely flavored, yet subtle enough to let the fish speak for itself.

We were then presented with fish carpaccio with watermelon, mint, cilantro, shallots and chili (NIS 56).

The fish was so fresh that it melted in the mouth, and the chili added a snappy textural kick, which made a nice contrast to the sweet watermelon.

After a bit of a breather and two more cocktails, it was on to the main dishes. First up was the lamb and chicken shwarma served on a flatbread with tehina, tomatoes and chili (NIS 68). The meat was cooked to perfection, moist, juicy, well seasoned, with every ingredient playing off each other like a chamber ensemble. It looked like the shwarma was going to be difficult to eat and I was worried I’d end up dripping it all over myself, but it was much easier to eat than it looked.

This was followed by a Middle Eastern classic, arayes: grilled pita stuffed with rich, seasoned minced lamb (NIS 58). Surrounded by creamy tehina, it was delicious and surprisingly not greasy (unlike how minced lamb often tends to be).

Last, we were presented with a grilled tuna fillet on a bed of artichoke, olives, capers, mangold tomatoes in a crab sauce. The tuna was crisp on the outside, but the inside was absolutely perfect: not a bit overdone nor underdone. As I cut into it, the fish fell apart on the knife and slowly melted on the tongue.

For dessert, we shared the homemade cheesecake (NIS 36).

The consistency and texture were on point, and I consider myself to be a bit of a cheesecake snob.

Overall, it was a delicious dinner.

Everything we had was fresh, flavorful and prepared with just the right amount of ingredients.

Service was exceptional. The wait staff were constantly attentive to filling our water glasses, and when a dish was finished, the plate was whisked off the table. A wonderful place for an intimate date or a large, lively group.